Running-board mat.



F. G. RUDDIMAN.

RUNNING BOARD MAT.

APPLICATION mm mm 21. m4.

1 ,137,354. Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

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\ ing my inventionF1gure FRANK e. nnnnman. or mnsnneommomean.

RUNNING-30ml) .MAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedilpna, 1015.

'Applicationflled Kay '91, 191;. .sanal Nut-841;"?

To all cvhom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK G..RUnn1MAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and. useful Improvement in Running- -Board Mats, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact-description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification./ I I My invention relates to mats, particularly that class of mats formed by weaving cocoa yarn, and the object of my invention is to provide a matof this class that may be mounted and retained upon the runningboard of an automobile or other vehicle."

The specific embodiment of my invention hereinafter described and subsequently claimed comprises retaining devices in the form of wire springs interwoven with the I yarn and constituting therewith a unitary structure. By weaving the retaining springs into the yarn of the mat as aforesaid, I am enabled to produce a neat-appearing runping-board mat that may be cheaply manufactured, inasmuch as no extra fastening devices are required to fix the retaining springs with respect to the woven cocoa yarn. The retaining springs before-mentioned are so shaped and disposed that they serve to effectively clamp the woven yarn to an. associated running-board, the springs being practically out of sight when the mat ism position upon the running-board.

In the accompanying drawings illustrat- 1 is a erspective view of the running-board mat o my invention, thisview showing clearly the retaining springs which are woven into the yarn of the mat; Fi 2 is an elevational viewillustrating my improved mat in position upon the running-board of an automobile; Fig. 3 -is a' transverse sectional view illustrating how hing-board mat of my the retaining springs are interwoven with the yarn of the mat, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line Hot Fig. 3,

As illustrated inthe drawings, the runinvention comprises afpair of retaining springs A, A,-arran ged to retain the mat of woven yarnupon the running-board B of an automobile or other vehicle. The sprin s A, A, may be said to be substantially U-s aped, inasmuch as each of a single piece of woven yarn, and

spr ng wire bent back uponitself to the shape most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. When the running-board mat is in position upon the running-board of an automobile, the springs A, A assume conformations more like a perfect U. The lowermost one of the 7 arms of each of the springs A, A is so shaped that it will most effectually grip the under side of the running-board with which the mat is associated. As will be presently pointed out, the springs A, A are interwoven with the yarn of the mat, and constitute therewith a unitary structure.

As is most clearly illustrated in F igs, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the mat of my invention comprises a plurality of strands C of cocoa yarn, these strands being known in weaving parlance as the warp. Interwoven with the strands or war C are the plugs D of cocoa yarn which, w en the mat is completed, have a substantially U-shape with their ends projecting upwardly to form the tufts upon which the person entering the automobile or other vehicle with woven yarn is bound with a suitable braid of cocoa yarn sewed in position, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3, this braid bein indicated at F. As is clearly illustrated in igs. 3 and 4, the retaining springs A are interwoven with the warp, plugs and fillers of the mat and are thus retained in operative position without employing any extra securing devices for this purpose. The springs A, A are positioned when the mat is being woven and can not be removed after the mat has been completed, due to the offset portions G, G of the springs which abut against the adjacent edges of the mat. The springs A, A may suitable wire. Inasmuch as the upper arm of each of the springs is embedded in the inasmuch as 'the lower springs lies under the be made of any arm of each of the running-board when. the mat is in positioh, the springs are practically out of sight. Al:

though one spring would perhaps sufliee to retain the woven yarn structure ,uponthe running-board, I find it desirable to utilize a pluralityof springs, inasmuch as when the mat is used there is a tendency to throw it from position u on the running-board.

Having thus (ascribed-my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A running-board mat comprising, in combination, plugs, and a substantially U-s'haped spring having one arm thereof interwoven with said strands, fillers and plugs, and the other arm extending transversely of the mat on the under side thereof, said strands, fillers, plugs and spring. being thus carried together and constituting a unitary mat structure.

2. A running-board mat compris ng, in combination, interwoven strands, fillers and plugs, and a running-board engaging spring having a portion thereof interwoven with said strands, fillers and plugs, said strands, fillers: plu s and snrimr being thus carried interwoven strands, fillers andtogether and constituting a unitary mat structure.

3. A running-board mat comprising, in combination, woven yarn and a runningboard engaging spring interwoven with the yarn and with the yarn constituting a unitary mat structure.

running-board mat comprising, in combination, w ovcn yarn and a substantially U-shaped running-board engaging spring having one arm thereof interwoven with the yarn and the other arm extending under the woven yarn, said spring adapted to clamp the woven yarn to a running-board, said yarn and spring being thus carried together and constituting a unitary mat structure. In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day of May, A. D. 1914.

. FRANK G. RUDDIMAN. Witnesses: y

A. G. MCCALEB, MARY A. COOK. 

